Technical Content Writer II
Position title: Technical Content Developer (Technical Writer II)
Reports to:UX Manager
Location:Fort Collins, CO
Reports to: User Experience Manager
In-Situ Inc. is a leading manufacturer of innovative environmental monitoring
equipment that protects our global water resources. We create industry-leading
products and solutions focusing on creative design, high reliability, and
world-class manufacturing.
Do you love to teach people how to use technology?
Do you write well-designed, maintainable, and useful documentation?
Do you want your work to have a positive impact on the environment and the
quality of life throughout the world?
If so, we should talk.
We are searching for an exceptional Technical Writer to join our UX team who
can create helpful and usable documentation and manuals our industry-leading
water monitoring and management solutions. Not only does In-Situ provide an
attractive offering to our customers, we also place high value on engagement
in our community, environmental projects, employee wellness and creating
an open and fun work environment.
Position Description
As a member of the User Experience Group at In-Situ, the Technical Content
Developer will play a critical role in the customer's experience with our
products. The Technical Content Developer will create product instruction
manuals and quick-start guides for new and existing products, as well as
other technical and/or user-facing documentation for water monitoring
instruments and systems.
Everything you produce needs to be done with the heart of a teacher, keeping
our customers' needs, situation, and goals as top priorities. This
customer-centric attitude will also impact the delivery methods (digital,
text, etc.). As such, you'll need to get involved with our customer
base to discover their needs; what they need to know and how best to
communicate with them. Users of our products range from entry-level field
technicians to seasoned environmental scientists, so your communication
style needs to be clear and simple, yet technically accurate and not
condescending. And since our product line is scientific in nature, a
technical/scientific background is a huge plus.
Because In-Situ's products are made with an extremely high level of quality
and care, the expectations for our documentation and help content are
similarly as high. Therefore, an attention to detail and willingness to push
hard for the best thing for our users is important.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Create and update instruction manuals and other user-facing documents,
technical guides, and help content using clear, understandable, and easy
to follow instructions
Work with internal stakeholders (mechanical engineers, electrical
engineers, sales, product managers, chemists, and software
engineers) to document official user procedures
Coordinate with product managers and the larger UX team to meet business
goals, product requirements, and user needs
Research and understand technical information and translate it for less
technical users
Partner with UX designers to craft meaningful help content in software UIs
Understand technical specifications and useful scientific reference material
Coordinate with product managers and the UX team to meet business goals,
product requirements, and user needs
Work with other members of the UX team to ensure the right technical and help
content is available when and where our users need it, and in a way that
meets their needs
Requirements
Minimum 2 years in a technical communications role or similar position
BS/BA in either a technical field, communication field, or equivalent
experience
Working familiarity with at least one standard documentation software
(InDesign preferred)
Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines, and work effectively in a team
environment where flexibility, collaboration, and adaptability are important
A portfolio which demonstrates he following:
Ability to understand and translate complex technical and scientific systems
and processes and communicate them to non-technical people in a simple and
clear manner
Graphic design skills to create clean page layouts and work within a design
system.
Excellent writing skills
Strong attention to detail
Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States
Key Skills & Competencies
Familiarity with technical and scientific concepts and language
Able to independently build complete documentation for a new product from
start to finish
Able to facilitate meetings with internal teams to understand and align on
unknown or undefined information
Resourcefulness to seek out unknown information efficiently
Understands technical communication strategy and can contribute to its
definition
Can organize their work on technical communication projects based on business
priorities
Comfortable presenting and teaching user procedures to internal and external
groups
Willing to push for the best experience for the user, and wisdom to know
when to stop pushing
Strong computer skills and the ability to learn new software applications
Additional Ideal Candidate Experience
Instructional design and/or curriculum development
Adobe CC, especially InDesign, Illustrator, Lightroom, Photoshop,
and Premiere Pro
Common CMS websites (e.g., Magento, WordPress, etc.)
Online knowledgebase tools
Figma and FigJam